You may order 12 apples of any one variety for $22.
The selection of varieties available will change through the season.

You can order Samplers and Explorer Packs with confidence that we always choose our finest
cultivars for these mixes!

For home growers interested in maturity dates, we give the ripening
date after each variety name as the number of weeks before (-) or after (+) Red Delicious.
There's more info on Ripening Dates in the
GROWING
TIPS section.

ARKANSAS BLACK (+4) -- A medium to
large apple with a coat of such dark purple that it appears to be almost black, quite
beautiful and striking. Very firm and an excellent keeper. Almost too hard textured at
harvest. Best after some storage time. Its flavor gets mixed reviews. A Winesap type.
ASHMEAD'S KERNEL (0) -- A medium-sized
antique russet from England. Ugly by modern standards. Its coat resembles an Idaho
potato's. High-flavored; tart (not for sissy palates); firm textured; a good keeper. One
of the best of the russets. Winter tender.

BALDWIN (+2) -- Around 1900, this was the
preeminent apple of the northeast. A good quality large red apple. In the North where the
fruit reaches perfection, the tree is subject to cold injury. This fault along with other
cultural defects caused this fine apple to nearly disappear from cultivation.

BLUSHING GOLDEN (+3) -- A medium-sized
waxy coated modern yellow apple with a pink blush. Believed to be a Jonathan/Golden
Delicious cross. Firm fleshed. Flavor similar to Golden Delicious with an almond essence,
but tarter. The "keeper" Golden. A joy to eat in December but, unlike Golden,
not a joy to grow.

BRAEBURN (+3.5) - A seedling from New
Zealand with the right stuff. Appearance similar to Fuji's, pale pink striped. A bit
richer flavored and firmer than Fuji, but not quite as good a keeper.

CHIEFTAIN(+1) -- A Jonathan/Delicious
cross merging each variety's best qualities: Jonathan's sour richness, Red Delicious'
juicy sweetness. Less tart than Jonathan, more flavor than Delicious. In appearance more
like Delicious. Better keeper than Delicious.

CORTLAND (-1) -- A Ben Davis/McIntosh
cross from the Geneva N.Y. Experiment Station. A large flat dull red apple with a purple
blush. Less aromatic than McIntosh, but a better keeper. Its slow-oxidizing, soft, white
flesh is very good in salads.

CRITERION(+3) -- A chance seedling found
near Parker, Wash. in 1968. Criterion is a light yellow apple of Red Delicious shape.
Under ideal cultural conditions, including low nitrogen level and thinning to obtain size,
it has a good mild flavor and a firm texture. Also it's a good keeper.

COX'S ORANGE PIPPIN
(-3) -- The apple that still dominates the English markets. Medium
sized, golden yellow skin flushed with brownish orange; often russeted.
Flesh yellow tender, crisp, semi-tart with a very special aftertaste.
This great variety requires a lake or ocean moderated climate.

CRITERION (+3) -- A
chance seedling found near Parker, Washington in 1968. Criterion is a
light yellow apple of Red Delicious shape. Under ideal cultural
conditions, including low nitrogen level and thinning to obtain size, it has
a good mild flavor and a firm texture. Also, it's a good keeper.

DOCTOR MATTHEWS (+2) -- An obscure
nineteenth century local Indiana variety that deserves more respect. Large, faded red
coat, crisp, juicy, excellent flavor. Rather short shelf life for a late maturing
cultivar.

ELSTAR(-4) --
A
Golden Delicious/Ingrid Marie cross from Holland, maturing just before the
better colored, neon orange Gals. Tarter than Gala. Even less well-suited
than Jonagold to hot summer climates.

ENTERPRISE (+3) -- A new scab resistent
apple from Purdue, named in 1992. Enterprise is a better keeper than Liberty, but also
requires a longer growing season. Eating quality somewhat like Idared.

ESOPUS SPITZENBERG**
(+2) -- A North American antique, medium-sized red apple of very good to
best quality. A moderate cropper. Long considered the standard
of excellence in the Baldwin class. Believed to be a parent of
Jonathan.

FORTUNE
(NY-429) (0) -- A Red Spy/Empire cross from the Geneva, NY Experiment
Station with the size and bite-back of a Northern Spy and McIntosh
aromatics. Named and introduced in '95.

FUJI (+4) -- A Ralls Janet/Red Delicious
cross, bred in Japan, where it is the number one seller. Pale pink stripes over a light
green background; attractive, but not gorgeous. Best keeping sweet apple in the
world. In a refrigerator, Fuji will keep through April and still be crackling crisp.

GALA (-3.5) -- Very sweet, firm,
exciting. Medium size, conic to round. Light golden yellow with a pinkish-orange blush.
Striking, peach-like appearance. Red Delicious and Cox's Orange Pippin are grandparents
and Golden Delicious is a parent. For folks with a sweet tooth, Gala is a best!

GOLDEN RUSSET(+3) -- A medium sized,
russet coated antique. This and Roxbury Russet were the best known American russets of the
nineteenth century. Crisp yellow sugary flesh of very good quality. Excellent keeper under
high humidity storage conditions. Still considered to be one of the best apples for cider
of all time.

GOLDRUSH (+3) First disease resistent
release (from Purdue) with world class eating quality and shelf life. Medium sized.
Greenish-yellow coat with some russet. Semi-tart. Keeps as well as Fuji.

GRANNY SMITH (+6) -- A very late
maturing, medium sized, tart-flavored, grass green skinned apple from Australia. To reach
perfection, Granny Smith requires a very long growing season. A good quality apple, an
outstanding keeper with a winning name.

GRIMES GOLDEN (-.5) -- A medium to
small-sized yellow-skinned apple of the nineteenth century. Quality similar to Golden
Delicious which is believed to be an offspring. Highly susceptible to collar rot, which
usually kills the tree. Mild, sweet, spicy flavor. Not a good keeper.

HIDDEN ROSE (+1.5) A chance seedling with
pink flesh that matures later and keeps better than Pink Pearl. Preharvest drops. Like
Pink Pearl but seems better suited to a Michigan-like short growing season.

HOKUTO (+2) -- A Mutsu/Fuji cross that is
a blend of its parents admirable traits -- the crisp texture of Fuji, the large size and
shape of Mutsu, and an amalgam of their sweet flavors.

HONEY GOLD (0) -- A Golden
Delicious/Haralson cross, introduced by Hort. Research Center, Excelsior, Minnesota in
1969. Eating quality similar to Golden Delicious. Hardier than Golden Delicious, suitable
for cultivation in South Dakota and central Minnesota.

HUDSON'S GOLDEN GEM(-2) -- A conical
shaped russet of first class eating quality. Most russets are antiques from the ninetenth
century or before. Hudson's was introduced about 1931 by Hudson's Wholesale Nurseries,
Tangent, Oregon.

IDARED (+2) -- A cross of Jonathan and
Wagener. The result is a large juicy bright red apple with a rich flavor that keeps very
well. Idared requires some refrigeration time to reach peak quality. Idared is
the longest keeping Jonathan type.

JONAGOLD (-1) -- Jonagold is a wonderful
flavored, very large, sweet mid-season apple with a relatively short storage and shelf
life. Like Beaujolais wine, Jonagold should be savored when young (soon after harvest).

JONALICIOUS (-1.5) -- Flavor equal to the
richness of Jonathan but a little less tart. Larger, crisper, and juicier than
Jonathan, and a better keeper. Jonalicious is our hottest selling local market variety
with an on-the-sour-side sugar/acid balance.

JONAMAC (-3) -- A medium-sized
Jonathan/McIntosh cross which ripens a few days prior to McIntosh. Sour flavored and
tender fleshed like McIntosh. Has wonderful McIntosh-like aromatics. Not a good keeper.

JONATHAN (-2) -- Tart, rich, real apple
flavor. Offspring of Esopus Spitzenberg, first described in 1826. Many Midwesterners
consider Jonathan the best flavored apple in the world!

KANDIL SINAP (0) -- A novelty variety
from Turkey of good dessert quality. Its striking medium-sized fruits are very tall and
narrow; creamy yellow porcelainlike skin with a sunnyside bright red blush. Tree shaped
like the fruit, very narrow.

KING DAVID (+1) -- Believed to be a
Jonathan/Arkansas Black cross. Medium-sized. Dark red coat. Very good quality. Distinctive
flavor, a blend of its parents' strengths. Not an especially good keeper. Nearly a century
ago, the famous Stark Bros' Nursery predicted that King David would replace Jonathan.
Didn't happen.

KOREAN GIANTAsian
Pear(+2) -- A very large keeper Asian pear from Korea. Round and crisp like an
apple; juicier, denser and sweeter than an apple. Dark brown russet coat.

LADY - An ancient very small long-keeping flat beautiful apple. Primarily used for
decorations, especially for Christmas wreaths. To many tastes a fine eating apple as
well, especially when ripe. Inconsistent bearer. Very good keeper.

LIBERTY (-1) -- A highly disease
resistant introduction from Geneva N.Y. Liberty has superior dessert quality, somewhat
akin to one of its parents, Macoun. Considered to be the best of the
disease-resistant
apples introduced prior to Gold Rush.

LURARED (-3) - A
chance seedling found in Bone Gap, Illinois marketed by Stark Bro's as abig
fruited, early Jonathan-type.

MOYER'S PRIZE (0) -- A local Indiana
favorite from the late nineteenth century of the Yellow Bellflower group. Medium tart,
crisp, very juicy. Yellow skin, oblong conic shape, medium to large size. Quality good to
very good.

MUTSU (+2.5) -- A late maturing offspring
of Golden Delicious from Japan's breeding program. A very large, firm, greenish yellow
apple with a sweet, cocktail of flavors, including a hint of anise. Juicy and refreshing.
Absolutely outstanding dessert quality. A good keeper. Renamed Crispin in the United
Kingdom and New York.

NEWTOWN PIPPIN (+4) -- A medium-sized,
light green coated antique American variety whose flavor, handling, and storage qualities
were so superior that it was exported to Europe in the late 1700's - the Granny Smith of
its day. An outstanding keeper requiring a long growing season to mature to perfection.

NITTANY (+2) -- An open-pollinated
offspring of York Imperial from the Pennsylvania State breeding program. Like York, a
crisp good keeper, and a good processing cultivar. Appearance and texture similar to
Fuji.

NORTHERN SPY (+2) -- Long the standard of
excellence for both eating and cooking. A large red apple. Very easy to bruise. Like
French Bordeaux wine vintages, Northern Spy has its good and great seasons.

ORIN (+2) -- Same
parents as Mutsu - Golden Delicious and Indo. A medium-sized, light
green to yellow apple with russeted lenticles, making for an ordinary
appearance. Orin has a crisp texture similar to Fuji's and a sweet
flavor akin to Golden Deliciuos, overlaid with spectacular aromatics.

PARAGON (+4) -- A Winesap-type from early
nineteenth century Tennessee. Like other Winesap types, it has a dark red coat, spicy
flavor, and is a good keeper. Very similar to Black Twig.

PINK PEARL (-4) -- A novelty pink fleshed
variety with a transparent skin which glows pink from the flesh underneath. Good eating
quality, but quite tart. A lovely addition for applesauce. Not a good keeper.

RHODE ISLAND GREENING (0) -- This large
green skinned triploid was once the second most important cultivar grown in New York, back
when Baldwin was number one. Very juicy, tender, semi-tart. Unsurpassed as a cooker. Very
good for dessert for folks who like tart apples. Best suited to the milder sections of New
England.

ROXBURY RUSSET (0) -- A medium-sized,
russet-coated antique. This and Golden Russet were the best known American russets of the
nineteenth century. Roxbury is larger and less uniformly shaped than Golden Russet and
less high flavored and not as good a keeper.

SCARLET O'HARA (-1) A mainly red,
flattish shaped, selection from the Purdue disease resistent breeding program. Rome,
Golden Delicious and Jonathan are in its heritage. Outstanding texture and a good
keeper for its season. Precocious bearer and very productive but susceptible to
Fireblight. Formerly known as Co-op 25.

SIR PRIZE(0) -- A
large yellow, russet free, scab and mildew resistant apple of very good
quality. One of the new disease resistant releases. Bruises very
easily.

SPIGOLD (+2) -- A very large to huge
red-striped Red Spy/Golden Delicious cross from the Geneva N.Y. Experiment Station. An
oddity for an apple so large to have such exquisite dessert quality, a blend of its
parents' superior qualities. Perhaps the best cultivar to include in sweet cider blends.

STELLAR (+2) -- A late season, firm and
crisp, Golden type from Arkansas' breeding program Stellar is milder flavored and much
more attractive than two other new entries in this class, Suncrisp and Goldrush.

SUNCRISP (+2) -- A highly-flavored
Golden-type with excellent aromatics. Golden Delicious is a parent, Cox's Orange Pippin
and Cortland are grandparents; hence it shares three fourths of its heritage with
superstar Gala.

SWAAR (+3) -- A medium-sized rough
skinned russet grown by Dutch settlers on the Hudson River in the early 1800's. Its ugly
coat conceals a rich and aromatic flesh of very good to best quality.

SWEET EMMA (+2) -- A seedling discovered
in Doud Orchards near Denver, IN by Dave Doud and named after his daughter. A
medium-sized, round, red apple, probably an off-spring of Red Delicious. Crisper and
having a less tough skin than Delicious.

SWISS GOURMET (-3.5) Also known as ARLET.
A Swiss bred cross of Golden Delicious and Idared. Prone to russet, preharvest drop, and
oily skin. Firmer and tarter than Gala. Eating quality akin to Braeburn's but ripens
seven weeks earlier.

TOLMAN SWEET (0) -- This medium sized
yellow apple is believed to have originated in Massachusetts in the early 1800's. In the
nineteenth century when sweet apples were prized for home orchards, Tolman was the best
and most popular of this class.

WHITE WINTER PEARMAIN (+3) -- A medium to
large, pale yellow-skinned apple from 19th century Indiana. Pleasantly aromatic and ranked
very good to best for dessert. Flavor akin to Mutsu but in a smaller, harder, and less
attractive package.

WINTER BANANA (+2) -- A large, clear,
pale yellow apple with a beautiful pink blush. Originated in Indiana in the late
1800's. Quality good to very good. Firm, coarse, distinctly aromatic. Often used as a
pollinator for Red Delicious in Washington state.

YORK IMPERIAL (+4) -- Discovered near
York, Pa in 1830, this excellent keeping apple was dubbed "Imperial of Keepers"
by Charles Downing, a nineteenth century pomologist. Usually lopsided. Similar in
coloring to Fuji, but not as sweet flavored